Firearms and ballistics

The area of firearms and ballistics examination requires very specialised skills and training and therefore there are very few forensic scientists with the depth of expertise and knowledge to take on defence work in this area. Forensic Equity boasts one of the UKs leading forensic firearms experts with experience of the widest possible range of weapons and ammunition involved in both civilian and military scenarios.

Apart from the obvious task of examining a weapon to see if was connected to a particular crime or not. Why should you consult a firearms expert?

One example of where seeking a second expert opinion could be crucial would be where the prosecution seek to prove that one person was murdered by another, but the alternative defence scenario is that the deceased person took their own life.

A firearms and ballistics expert can not only examine the weapon to see if it were possible for someone to physically shoot themselves or not, but they can also examine entry wounds and clothing damage to see whether they fit the suicide or the murder scenario.

It is not only people accused of the more serious crimes that need the benefit of a firearms expert. The UK firearms law and regulations governing firearms, particularly weapons like air rifles are very complex and you need a forensic scientist to explain them and to determine whether or not a particular weapon fits into the category of a dangerous air weapon or not.

Under the UK firearms law, possession of a dangerous air weapon can lead to a custodial sentence of up to 10 years and thus it is imperative that the prosecutions forensic evidence is independently reviewed by one of Forensic Equity’s scientists.

With over 200 years of expertise between them our forensic scientists have been responsible for helping to acquit clients accused of some of the most serious offences including murder, rape, drug dealing, burglary and firearms offences, by reviewing and re-examining the prosecution's forensic evidence in hundreds of criminal cases.

Find out more about our significant forensic firearms and ballistics expertise: